Research, Creatine Against Alzheimer's: It Can Help Memory in Patients

A popular supplement like creatine , used mainly to strengthen muscles, has been shown to improve memory, attention span, reading and reasoning in a group of Alzheimer's patients. The results were seen very quickly in a new, small study of 20 people with the disease. For eight weeks, the patients took 20 grams of the supplement a day. In tests conducted by researchers at the University of Kansas, creatine levels measured in the blood of the volunteers rose by 11 percent over the eight weeks. Their cognitive abilities showed improvements in every area they were tested on. Previous studies have shown that creatine induces the production of higher-than-normal amounts of adenosine triphosphate (or ATP) , a substance used by cells for energy, including brain and neurological cells, which is decreased and damaged in Alzheimer's patients. “We have preliminary evidence, but enough” to continue studying the possible benefits of creatine on these patients, noted co-author Matthew Taylor, director of the nutrition laboratory at the University of Kansas. “Creatine,” he explained, “is very important for transporting energy from the mitochondria and can theoretically increase the production of the primary source of energy for the brain, namely ATP, which is lacking in Alzheimer’s patients.”